Live instance of 12.04 hangs at install screen: "b43/ucode5.fw" not found

[MorrisseyJ]

Hi,

I am having a problem trying to run live sessions of 12.04 (32 bit) and its different flavours (Lubuntu) on an asus A6RP with ATI Radeon Express 200M graphics.

When i boot to the live session (USB) i get to the screen with the distro logo and dots which change colour. At some point these dots stop changing colour and the machine hangs. If i set nomodeset i get the following error when the dots freeze.

[ 48.753669] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found
[ 48.753687] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found
[ 48.753698] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/...devicefirmware and download the correct firmware for this driver version. Please carefully read all instructions on this site.

This is the wireless driver which i have always installed using a wired connection once i've booted to the install. I am not sure why this is proving a problem while trying to run a live session (even when i am connected through a wired connection), nor what i am meant to do about it. Previously i have run a number of different distributions on the machine (currently Lubuntu 11.10 is installed and working) and have tested the USB on another machine and it works.

From the website mentioned in the error message i am not sure what to do with the instructions 'toggle line numbers', as i am not sure of the file in which i am meant to be toggling them. I am also guessing, if its the case that I need to add a line saying:

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

that i need to be connected to the internet on a wired connection while i try and boot to the live USB?

If anyone has any ideas about what i should try i'd love to hear them. Also if someone can tell me whether this is a bug, i'll file it as such.

Thanks,

[MorrisseyJ]

This looks like the problem:

http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail...ch/002460.html

But i am not sure what to do with it.

[MorrisseyJ]

Ah, found the bug report.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...er/+bug/909871

[MorrisseyJ]

Sorry, i actually can't work out how to follow the instructions in the bug report.

How do i blacklist b43 on the live session? All the instructions i can find describe doing so for an installed system, using the live session.

Thanks

[Hubu]

Hello.
Just solved that problem in very brutal way...

You need your previous installation/backup with working wifi.
- You need to boot *ubuntu with b43.blacklist=yes parameter
- mount your backup or partition with previous installation
- simply copy firmware files to new system
sudo cp -r [old installation]/lib/firmware/b43 /lib/firmware/

Reboot and enjoy

[MorrisseyJ]

Thanks Hubu,

I didn't have a backup so haven't tried your solution.

I did however get this working another way. So here is another detailed solution. It should work but you will need a wired internet connection.

First you need to blacklist b43 so that you can get into the live session.

1. Boot to the live CD/USB
2. When the screen comes up showing the accessibility icon (little stick man and keyboard at the bottom of the screen), press any key
3. Pick your language, press enter
4. Press F6, this will launch a dialogue
5. Press esc to get rid of the dialogue
6. You should now have a cursor from which you can enter commands below the boot options: Type

b43.blacklist=yes

making sure there is a space before and after the text you enter.
7. Press enter to either 'Try Ubuntu without installing' or 'Install Ubuntu'

In the case of the former, above, your instance of the live session should now work.

Now you should be able to install Ubuntu but you will still need to install b43 onto your system so that you can boot normally and use your wireless. To do this you have to boot to your system to do the install, but before that will work you once again have to blacklist b43 in the boot process. Here are the instructions.

1. Boot to the grub screen. If grub doesn't load automatically press, and hold, the Shift key after the BIOS screen (the screen mentioning your machine's manufacturer) disappears.
2. At the grub screen (the purple screen which lets you choose the instance of the kernel you want) press 'e', this will bring up a screen of text.
3. Using the arrow keys, navigate to the line which ends with "vt.handoff" or something similar. At the end of that line enter

b43.blacklist=yes

again making sure to leave spaces before and after.
4. Press F10

This should boot you to your install, but your wireless won't be working. To fix this we have to install b43 - this is where you'll need your wired internet connection.

1. Open a terminal (ctrl+alt+t or hit the 'super-key' (the one with the windows logo on it) and type 'terminal' and press enter).
2. Enter

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

3. Enter your password (note your keystrokes won't register) and hit enter

Now b43 should install, your wireless should work and you should be able to boot without any problems.

Thanks to different people who helped me sort this out. Also, here is a blog detailing much of what needs to be done and which helped me get this sorted: http://linux-software-news-tutorials...s-because.html

[eodrobot]

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer" worked for me. I didn't see that b43 error.

My (via Ubuntu update Mgr) upgrade from 11.10 to 12.04 was hanging on the boot screen - I'd tried everything else and followed the rather annoying Apport bug reporting procedure over and over - it seemed to be in a loop.

This, fyi, was on a Panasonic Toughbook. I have 12.04LTS on a USB hard drive (works faster than PC Windows hard drive) and was naturally upgrading from 12.04 beta, by which I mean I didn't do a fresh install, just update / upgrade from Update Manager. No hiccups with this one - the difference being maybe the PC is on ethernet cable - the laptop on WiFi

[eodrobot]

Thought I'd fixed it but the problem came back.

Inadequate work round was Ctrl Alt F2 - log in / password - Terminal command = sudo shutdown -r now

Select Recovery mode /fix broken packages/ - resume normal boot -
may see partial desktop - terminal sudo apt-get update

Then Apport messages

Answer anything to send bug report - Details package "zenity" problem - also saw Ubuntu 11.10 instead of 12.04

Get or open Synaptic - type in zenity - see Zenity and Zenity Common - mark for reinstallation / Apply

so far so good.

[Flame_Phoenix]

One thing you guys might find useful: After step 1 (after installation) don't press ANY OTHER KEY BUT 'e'. I was miss fortuned enough to actually click one of the arrows by mistake. Thus when I pressed 'e' i was taken to a completely different text menu, one without the 'vt.handoff' line ... Kinda screwed up xD

Other than that, awesome tutorial! Thanks!

[FoZFoRiC]

Thanks Hubu,

I didn't have a backup so haven't tried your solution.

I did however get this working another way. So here is another detailed solution. It should work but you will need a wired internet connection.

First you need to blacklist b43 so that you can get into the live session.

1. Boot to the live CD/USB
2. When the screen comes up showing the accessibility icon (little stick man and keyboard at the bottom of the screen), press any key
3. Pick your language, press enter
4. Press F6, this will launch a dialogue
5. Press esc to get rid of the dialogue
6. You should now have a cursor from which you can enter commands below the boot options: Type making sure there is a space before and after the text you enter.
7. Press enter to either 'Try Ubuntu without installing' or 'Install Ubuntu'

In the case of the former, above, your instance of the live session should now work.

Now you should be able to install Ubuntu but you will still need to install b43 onto your system so that you can boot normally and use your wireless. To do this you have to boot to your system to do the install, but before that will work you once again have to blacklist b43 in the boot process. Here are the instructions.

1. Boot to the grub screen. If grub doesn't load automatically press, and hold, the Shift key after the BIOS screen (the screen mentioning your machine's manufacturer) disappears.
2. At the grub screen (the purple screen which lets you choose the instance of the kernel you want) press 'e', this will bring up a screen of text.
3. Using the arrow keys, navigate to the line which ends with "vt.handoff" or something similar. At the end of that line enter again making sure to leave spaces before and after.
4. Press F10

This should boot you to your install, but your wireless won't be working. To fix this we have to install b43

1. Open a terminal (ctrl+alt+t or hit the 'super-key' (the one with the windows logo on it) and type 'terminal' and press enter).
2. Enter 3. Enter your password (note your keystrokes won't register) and hit enter

Now b43 should install, your wireless should work and you should be able to boot without any problems.

Thanks to different people who helped me sort this out. Also, here is a blog detailing much of what needs to be done and which helped me get this sorted: http://linux-software-news-tutorials...s-because.html

Apparently the Win wubi or network install wubi doesn't have the same feature in "accessibility" because all I get is visibility options and F6 does nothing. Whole description of my problem